


Worse Things to Be

by Settledvagabond



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/F, Fluffy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-14
Updated: 2016-07-14
Packaged: 2018-07-23 21:12:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,270
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7480206
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Settledvagabond/pseuds/Settledvagabond
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Based on a recently released cap of s6 filming where Emma is chasing after Regina.   Short & Sweet SwanQueen.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Worse Things to Be

_ Click click click click click _

 

She couldn’t move fast enough.  Hands shoved furiously into pockets, head lowered, neck flexed, tight, Regina did not so much walk as push the ground away, hurtling herself forward as quickly as she could without actually running.  That would look… common.

 

A voice called ‘round the corner after her as she went on her very purposeful way, a stomping rush of black fabric cut only by a slash of red lips, pulled in the thinnest, angry line.

 

“Regina!  Regina, hey - Regina wait!”

 

Emma Swan shot like a confused arrow, lost on the way to its target, skidding across gravel as she spotted the quickly retreating black coat down the street and changed directions.  Her eyes widened with hope.

 

_ If she had really wanted to avoid me, she would have poofed by now. _

 

As if hearing her, Regina glanced over her shoulder and took a hard left into an alley - there was no way out.  Emma panicked; she probably meant to magic her way out of there.  She ran as hard as she ever had, her legs feeling useless and weak as they propelled her across the concrete.

 

“Regina, stop!”

 

She slid to a halt, dust and gravel floating up around her boots.  Regina stood erect, holding unnaturally still.  Emma swallowed nervously.   Regina didn’t even turn around, but Emma could feel her, coiled like a magical snake.

 

“Leave me alone, Swan!”

 

It was threat and plea combined - something Emma was all too familiar with, and the tone of fear beneath the promise of pain pierced Emma’s heart.  Her breath faltered in her chest.  How could Regina be afraid - so afraid of this?  Of her?  After all this time?

 

She might not get another chance.  Regina was in fear and running mode and she wasn’t about to chase her for days, possibly longer.  Emma Swan steeled herself to say what she only ever said when she was about to lose someone.

 

“Gina… I love you.”

 

Regina’s stuttered gasp was delicate and audible.  Emma’s face contorted with hope - she inhaled and never exhaled, sitting on the top of the breath in fear and wonder.

 

Regina’s voice was riddled with pain as she responded.

“You… you can’t say that.”

 

She didn’t dare turn around, but breathed in deeply to keep the tears from her voice, tilted her head back to keep them from streaming down her face.

 

Emma hedged closer carefully, feeling the opening she was being given and the tenuousness of that vulnerability between them.

 

“Why can’t I?” Emma said, taking another step, another.  “Why shouldn’t I say what I mean, Regina?”

 

She was fighting it, but couldn’t entirely keep the anger from her tone.  Her she was, offering herself to someone, finally, boldly, and they were running.  It was a sick joke.  The one who always ran, chasing after the one who always wanted to someone to be able to stay.  No.  She would fight for this, for them.  

 

Regina wasn’t going to get away easily.

 

And she knew it.

 

Regina turned on her heels harshly, a shield of reasons rising in her throat, and of anger cloaking her emotions.  She wielded them like careful weapons - she would hurt Emma if she had to, to save her from worse later on.

 

“Oh well if we’re just saying what we mean, Emma, then maybe we should talk about how everyone I have ever loved ends up dead?”  Regina lifted her brows and lifted her hands in question.  “And that no matter how much good I do or how much they might come to care for me, that your parents are  _ never  _ going to approve of me as a partner for you?”  Her voice was gruff and angry to cover the resentful tears just behind the wall of logic, the strongest thing Regina had in this trembling moment.  “I mean for goodness sake,  _ think,  _ Swan, or do you only use that head of yours for hairbrained ideas and figuring out what you’re going to eat next?”

 

Regina’s brow furrowed as she registered Emma’s expression.  She had expected reason to be dawning there, but instead she found… hope?

 

With no response forthcoming, Regina finally, huffing, asked, “What?”

 

Uncontrollable, a smile burst across Emma’s face.

 

“You’re worried they won’t approve of you,” she took a step closer.   “And that I’ll end up dead.”

 

She was still smiling as she got within a single footstep of Regina.  She reached out and skimmed her fingers along the edge of Regina’s coat, and marked the staggered breath that followed the action.  Regina swallowed.

 

“Yes, of course I am.  And you should be too, you idiot.”

 

The ferocity she meant behind the words floated away meekly though, as Emma’s smile softened to one of endearment and affection.  She pulled Regina closer - the closest they had ever been, Regina realized.  How had they spent so much time together, had so many things pass between them, and they had never even embraced?

 

“Regina… being worried about those things,” Emma said, having to lower her head and look up into Regina’s downcast eyes, “Do you hear what you’re saying?”

 

Regina’s hard swallow was audible as she looked up, eyes welling with tears.  She was braced for anything, but not for Emma’s startling, kind eyes looking blissfully back at her.

 

“I don’t know,” she stammered.  She cleared her throat.  “What does it mean?”  She tried to sound casual, but it was so forced, Emma laughed.  

 

Emma pulled their bodies flush together and Regina looked suddenly in pain.

 

“It means you  _ want  _ them to approve of you…”  She brushed her nose along Regina’s, sending a trembling shock down her spine.  “It means... you love me back.”

 

She tilted her head, the long line of her blonde ponytail falling over her shoulder, and pulled Regina into her, smiling as she kissed her, bluntly and sweetly.  Regina’s brow was so intensely furrowed it was painful, and the conflicting feelings of “stay” and “RUN” made her body tense as a bow, pulled and poised to fire, but with no direction to go, simply made her shake.

 

Emma pulled away only far enough to breathe, saying, with a laugh,

 

“Relax, Regina.  It’s only a kiss.”

 

Regina looked at her with precious fear, and Emma smiled gently, lovingly, adoringly.  Against her better judgement, Regina tilted her face and hesitantly, gradually, leaned in.

 

Emma kissed her back tenderly, her lips only subtly encouraging Regina.  Emma opened her eyes, and exhaled with love and sympathy at the nervous, pained expression on Regina’s face.  When they parted, Emma watched her, her expression soft, adoring.  It took a moment for Regina to open her eyes and look at Emma.

 

“And if they don’t… approve of me?”

 

Emma’s smile widened again.

 

“They willl.”

 

“But if they don’t - “

 

Emma slid her hands around Regina’s waist, wrapped her arms around Regina, and felt her quiver.  The look on Regina’s face was almost as if this was all too much to hope for.

 

“But what if you.. What if…”

 

Emma leaned in, playfully.

 

“If I die?” she said lightly.  Regina nodded, looking upset.  “Well, you know where the underworld is, don’t you?”

 

Regina pulled back, a bit of her cool wariness returning to her face.

 

“Emma Swan, if you say it, so help me - “

 

Emma grinned huge and pleased with herself.

 

“I trust you’ll always find me.”

  
Regina made a disgusted noise and rolled her eyes - but when Emma pulled her in again for a kiss, she smiled in spite of herself, and thought to herself that maybe… just  _ maybe… _ the Charmings weren’t the worst couple in all the realms to be like.


End file.
